Validating received sensor data using computer cryptographic processing

ABSTRACT

Media capture and verification originally-captured media files, the nature of modifications made to captured media files, and the authenticity of various versions of files related to the captured media are discussed. A computer identifies capture device output that represents an aspect of a recorded event. The computer cryptographically processes the capture device output to produce a validatable master file which includes master media data from the capture device output, master metadata of said master media data, and master file blockchain data. The master file blockchain data includes a master file block history portion, a master file signature key portion, a master file change indication portion, and a master file signed data hash portion. The computer also modifies the master media data to produce reference file media data. reference files and distributable files. The computer verifies the authenticity of each of these files.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to the field of media capture,and more specifically, to verifying authenticity of originally-capturedmedia files, the nature of modifications made to captured media files,and the authenticity of various versions of files related to thecaptured media.

Data may be obtained from sensors in a variety of capture devices, suchas a photographic cameras, audio capture devices, infrared video capturedevices, radar spatial information capture devices, sonar spatialinformation capture devices, lidar spatial information capture devices,laser “trip-wires,” chemical signature information capture devices,X-ray image capture devices, microwave image capture devices, barometricpressure reading capture devices, anemometer, etc. In some cases, isimportant to be able to verify that stored data captured by one or moreof these devices authentically represents what was captured by thedevice.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure recognizes the shortcomings and problemsassociated with confirming the authenticity of as-recorded media files,the nature of changes made to as-recorded media files, and the veracityof files supposedly based on the verifiable changes made to as-recordedmedia files.

In embodiments according to the present invention, a computer identifiesa capture device output that represents an aspect of a recorded event.The computer cryptographically processes the capture device output toproduce a validatable master file which includes master media data fromthe capture device output, master metadata of said master media data,and master file blockchain data. The master file blockchain dataincludes a master file block history portion, a master file signaturekey portion, a master file change indication portion, and a master filesigned data hash portion. The cryptographically processing includes thecomputer dividing the media data into at least one data subset, thecomputer generating a hash of said the data subset, the computergenerating metadata of the hash and data subset, the computer combiningthe hash metadata of the hash into a data packet, and the computercryptographically signing the data packet. In other aspects of theinvention, the computer also modifies master media data to producereference file media data by preparing a reference file which includesreference file media data, reference file metadata, and reference fileblockchain data. The reference file blockchain data includes the masterfile blockchain data and blockchain incrementing information, whichincludes a hash of the master file blockchain data, reference fileblockchain metadata, and a reference file signed data hash portion. Inother aspects of the invention, the reference file further includesinstructions indicating replicable changes made by the computer tochange the master file media data to the modified media of the referencefile. In other aspects of the invention, the computer receives achallenged master file identified as a copy of said validatable masterfile. The computer also receives a request to validate said challengedmaster file and executes a master file validation routine to assessvalidity of said challenged master file. In the master file validationroutine, the computer hashes media data of the challenged master file togenerate hashed challenged master file media data. The computer unsignsa signed media data hash portion of the challenged master file togenerate unsigned challenged master file media data and determineswhether said hashed challenged master file media data and said unsignedchallenged master file media data match. In other aspects of theinvention, the computer receives a reference file identified as amodified version of said master file. The computer also receives arequest to determine whether said reference file is a modified versionof said master file and executes a reference file verification routine.In the reference file verification routine, the computer determineswhether a hash of the master file blockchain data and a hash ofreference file blockchain data match. If they match, the computerapplies changes indicated by blockchain incrementing information to thereference file media data to generate hashed reference file media data.The computer also unsigns reference file blockchain data to generateunsigned reference file blockchain media data. The computer determineswhether the hashed reference file media data and said unsigned referencefile blockchain media data match. In other aspects of the invention, thecomputer receives a reference file identified as an authenticmodification of said master file, a distributable file, a request todetermine whether said distributable file is an authentic modificationof said reference file identified as an authentic modification of saidmaster. The computer then executes a distributable file verificationroutine, in which the computer determines whether a hash ofdistributable file blockchain data matches a hash of reference fileblockchain data. In the distributable file verification routine, thecomputer also determines whether a hash of distributable file media datamatches a corresponding unsigned hash of a representative media block.

In another embodiment of the invention, a system comprises: a computersystem comprising a computer readable storage medium having programinstructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable bya computer to cause the computer to identify a capture device output,said output representing an aspect of a recorded event;cryptographically process said capture device output to produce avalidatable master file; wherein said validatable master file includesmaster media data from said capture device output, master metadata ofsaid master media data, and master file blockchain data; wherein saidmaster file blockchain data includes a master file block historyportion, a master file signature key portion, a master file changeindication portion, and a master file signed data hash portion.

In another embodiment of the invention, a computer program productcomprises computer readable storage medium having program instructionsembodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer tocause the computer to: identify a capture device output, said outputrepresenting an aspect of a recorded event; cryptographically processsaid capture device output to produce a validatable master file; whereinsaid validatable master file includes master media data from saidcapture device output, master metadata of said master media data, andmaster file blockchain data; wherein said master file blockchain dataincludes a master file block history portion, a master file signaturekey portion, a master file change indication portion, and a master filesigned data hash portion.

Some issues with confirming authenticity of data files includedifficulty in determining whether a given file in fact contains a truecopy of the as-recorded data from a capture device. Other problems caninclude determining whether instructions in a change log are truerepresentations of changes that have occurred to a file containingmodified a version of captured data. Other problems occur when trying tovalidate the authenticity of various versions of files (e.g., referencefiles and distribution files) which are not duplicates of a master filebut which, instead, supposedly contain verifiable variations of themaster file.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following detailed descriptionof illustrative embodiments thereof, which is to be read in connectionwith the accompanying drawings. The various features of the drawings arenot to scale as the illustrations are for clarity in facilitating oneskilled in the art in understanding the invention in conjunction withthe detailed description. The drawings are set forth below.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an overview of a systemfor computer-implemented generation of a validatable master media datafile.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method, implemented using thesystem shown in FIG. 1, of capturing media data and storing anassociated master file.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary format of a master file according to aspects ofthe invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method, implemented using thesystem shown in FIG. 1, of validating a master file according to aspectsof the invention.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary format of a reference file according to aspectsof the invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method, implemented using thesystem shown in FIG. 1, of validating a reference file according toaspects of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method, implemented using thesystem shown in FIG. 1, of validating a reference file according toaspects of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method, implemented using thesystem shown in FIG. 1, of validating a distributable file according toaspects of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram depicting a computer systemaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure which may be incorporated,all or in part, in one or more computers or devices shown in FIG. 1, andcooperates with the systems and methods shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 depicts a cloud computing environment according to an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 11 depicts abstraction model layers according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings isprovided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of exemplaryembodiments of the invention as defined by the claims and theirequivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in thatunderstanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary.Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatvarious changes and modifications of the embodiments described hereincan be made without departing from the scope and spirit of theinvention. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions andconstructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are notlimited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used to enablea clear and consistent understanding of the invention. Accordingly, itshould be apparent to those skilled in the art that the followingdescription of exemplary embodiments of the present invention isprovided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose oflimiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and theirequivalents.

It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the”include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.Thus, for example, reference to “a participant” includes reference toone or more of such participants unless the context clearly dictatesotherwise.

Now with combined reference to the Figures generally and with particularreference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an overview of method 200 for confirmingthe authenticity of as-recorded media files, the nature of changes madeto as-recorded media files, and the veracity of files supposedly basedon the verifiable changes made to as-recorded media files. Method 200 isusable within a system 100 as carried out by a server computer 120having optionally shared storage 122 and aspects 124 (including a signalprocessing chip 126, a cryptographic processing chip 128, ROM 130, and ageneral processing chip 132 that cooperatively confirm the authenticityof as-recorded media files, indicate the nature of changes made toas-recorded media files, and demonstrate the veracity of filessupposedly based on the verifiable changes made to as-recorded mediafiles. It is noted that the storage 122 could, within the spirit ofaspects of this invention, take a variety of forms, including areceiving bus, an I/O bus, a networking card, or other items capable ofreceiving file data such as a master file 300, or a reference file 500.

It is noted that the method of the current invention is expected to beused by participant groups (e.g., professional organizations, corporateentities, etc.) and individuals that have appropriate rights to capturethe data described herein, as well as the right to use and process thecaptured data in the ways described. It is also envisioned that anymodels whose likeness is captured or used in accordance with aspects ofthe present invention have provided valid consent for such capture anduse. The data described herein is captured and used in accordance withlegally-appropriate methods and with all consent necessary for theintended uses.

According to aspects of the invention, a capture device with a sensor136 records an aspect of reality 134, such as an image, a sound, apressure reading, etc. and passes the aspect along to a signalprocessing chip 126 associated with a server computer 120. The capturedevice sensor sends raw data to the signal processing chip 126, wheresystem 100 converts the raw data into a format usable by the system 100and optionally compressed. If the signal processing chip 126 does notcompress the data, an optional compression chip (not shown) may be used.The cryptographic processing chip 128 takes the processed (and possiblycompressed) data, divides the data into predetermined subsets (such aspixels or other discrete units associated with the data beingprocessed), and hashes the subsets. Using the hashes of the subsets, thecryptographic processing chip 128 adds metadata for each hash (e.g., thesubset, timestamp, etc.) and cryptographically signs the hash datapackets (i.e., hashes with respective metadata) with an immutable,unique private key held in the ROM 130. The signed data hashes and mediadata are passed to the general processing chip 132, which combines thesigned data hashes and media data, along with any relevant metadata,into a master file 300 having the format shown in FIG. 3. According toaspects of the invention, the master file blockchain data 310 includes amaster file block history portion 311A, a master file signature keyportion 314A, and a master file signed data hash portion 316A. It isnoted that certain portions of the master file block history may be nullor include other agreed content reflecting the original, non-changednature of the master file 300.

With additional reference to FIG. 2, the server computer 120, at block202 receives sensor data from capture device 136; the sensor data isconverted into media data which is cryptographically processed in block206. With continued reference to FIG. 2, the cryptographic processingincludes dividing media data, at block 208, into subsets and hashing thesubsets at block 210. At block 212, the general processing chip 132combines the hashed media data with metadata (which may, itself, behashed) into hashed data packets. At block 214, the cryptographicprocessing chip 128 cryptographically signs the hashed data packets. Thegeneral processing chip 132 generates a master file 300 at block 216,and the server computer 120 stores the master file in shared storage 122at block 218.

With reference to FIG. 3, the format of a master file 300 according toaspects of this invention is shown; the format, according to embodimentsof this invention, includes three portions: metadata 301, sensor mediadata 302, and internal blockchain data 310. In particular, the masterfile 300 shown in FIG. 3 is a file with only one block of blockchaindata 311A, and this single block is known as a genesis block. The fileformat may be implemented as an extension to existing file formats. Itis noted that while FIG. 3 shows master file 300, the system 100generates other files (known as reference files 500, which are shownschematically in FIG. 1 and in more detail in FIG. 5) when modifying amaster file 300 according to aspects of this invention, and referencefiles have the same overall format (as shown in FIG. 5, discussed inmore detail below).

The internal blockchain data 310 includes blocks of information aboutthe file and versions of its media data (and optionally, metadata) heldin blocks that are cryptographically linked by including thecryptographic hash of the previous block, which corresponds to aprevious version of the data (and optionally, metadata) of the masterfile 300 and a reference file 500.

It is noted that the media data 302 of the master file 300 representsoriginal media data captured by a sensor in capture device 136, and theblockchain 310, according to aspects of this invention, is anon-distributed blockchain (i.e., a data structure where each data blockcontains the cryptographic hash of the previous block) that is internalto a master file 300 and a reference file 500.

The blockchain data 310 contains a hashable portion and optionally(depending on the file variant) certain extensions that are not includedin the block hash. The hashable portion includes the previous block hash313A, 513B, etc. (or, for the genesis block, some agreed upon choice,such as null), the public key used in signatures for this block(optionally, any metadata about the public key), a hash (or root hash)of the changes made from the previous data version to get to thisversion (or, in the case of the genesis block, some agreed upon choice,such as null), and a signed hash of the current media data 302 in one oftwo formats. The first signed hash format includes a signed hash of thefile metadata for this version (or its hash) and the file media data forthis version (or its hash/root hash); the second signed hash formatincludes a signed hash of the file media data for this version, and(optionally) a signed hash of the file metadata for this version. It isnoted that the master file 300 (a file with an internal blockchain thatonly has one block) has blockchain data divided into subsections asfollows: general file metadata 301, media data (original from sensor)302, internal blockchain (with only one block) 310, the origin/genesisblock 311A, hashable portion of the block 312A, previous block hash (inthis case, null or some other predefined convention) 313A, public keyused in digital signatures optionally including metadata about thepublic key 314A, other block metadata 315A, either (a) signed hash ofthe file metadata (or its hash) and the file media data (or itshash/root hash); or (b) signed hash of the file metadata and a signedhash of file (or root hash) of the file media data 316A.

In addition to the structure described above, there are two optionalfile extension portions that may be included within aspects of thisinvention. The first extension is a change log (not shown) of someformat that enables replicating the changes on the previous version ofthe media data to get to the current version of the media data. Thechange log is only required for reference media file copies. The changelog is optional, but not necessary for distributable copies. The secondextension (not shown) is a copy of the media data at that stage of thehistory of the media file. It is not required for any of the filevariants, and simply may be value added.

With reference to FIG. 4, a method 400 to create a modified version 500(also known as a reference file) of the master file 300 is shown. Asnoted above, a reference file 500 according to aspects of this inventionis a modified version of the original, master file 300 generatedaccording to the flow logic shown in FIG. 4. At block 404, the servercomputer 120 receives a copy of the master file 300, and at block 406,the server computer 120 modifies the master file media data 302 using,for example, an image or sound editing algorithm (not shown). Aftermodifying the master media data 302, the server computer 120 receives,at block 408, a file containing the altered master media data 502 (asseen in FIG. 5 and described in detail below). The server computer 120saves the altered media data, at block 410, as reference file media data502. The server computer 120, at block 412, generates reference filemetadata 501; at block 414, the server computer 120 combines referencefile media data 502, reference file metadata 501, and reference fileblockchain data 510 into a reference file data packet. As used herein,the term blockchain refers to a traditional blockchain, a hashchain,cryptographically linked list, or other immutable data structure thatreplicates the functionality and data integrity that a blockchainprovides. At block 416, server computer 120 cryptographically signs thereference file data packets. At block 418, the server computer 120generates reference file blockchain data 510 and updates the blockchainby adding the reference blockchain data 510 to the existing blockchain.At block 420, the server computer 120 generates a reference file 500containing the signed data packets 516 and saves the reference fileblockchain data 510, which is saved at block 422.

As shown with reference to FIG. 5, the reference file blockchain data510 contains the previous block hash 513B, a public key 514B, and otherblock metadata 515B, with any relevant metadata, and either optionversion of the signed, hashed media data described above.

The public key 514B represents the algorithm making the modifications,as either the public key corresponding to a generic private key sharedby all applications of the same version or a public key corresponding toa private key that is unique to that application installation.Preferably, (but optionally) the computer may attach replicableinstructions 519B for getting from the previous version of the image tothis version as part of the block metadata 510B with the signed hash517B of the instructions 519B.

Additional detail about a preferred structure for the reference fileaccording to aspects of the invention is now provided with particularreference to FIG. 5. A reference file with an internal blockchain thathas multiple blocks is shown at 500; this file represents media that hasbeen modified since its original creation. The reference file includesgeneral reference file metadata 501, reference file media data (modifiedfrom original) 502, and internal blockchain 510. The internal blockchain510 includes a series of blocks 311A (the genesis block associated withthe master file 300), 511B (the modified block associated with the firstreference file (i.e., a first round of changes to the master file 300)),and 511 x (a second or later reference block associated with possiblyseveral rounds of changes to the original master file 300). Each blockin the chain is further divided as described above into subsections, andthe subsections are labeled as according to a numerical series (i.e.,511, 512, 513, 514, 515, 516, 517, 518, 519, and 520). As each round ofmedia data changes take place, the server computer 120 generates a newreference file 500 and associated blockchain data, with each block inthe chain maintaining the same relative format. For convenience,numerical references among the reference file blockchain subsectionsfollow the same numerical arrangement (e.g., 511, 512, 513, 514, 515,516, 517, 518, 519, and 520), with each generation of subsections havingan indexed letter suffix (starting at “B”) appended thereto. This isschematically shown in FIG. 5 as 511B, 512B, 513B, 514B, 515B, 516B,517B, 518B, 519B, and 520B and 511 x, 512 x, 513 x, 514 x, 515 x, 516 x,517 x, 518 x, 519 x, and 520 x. If more than twenty-six generations ofchanges occur, (e.g., at the end of a run through the alphabet), anadditional suffix letter, starting with A is added (e.g., a second runthrough the alphabet would begin with BA, BB, and so on). It is notedthat suffix letter “A” is reserved for original, master file 300 andused to identify the genesis/origin block generated for the master file.

The blockchain also includes a hashable portion of the block 512 x, aprevious block hash (in the case of block A, the genesis block, thisvalue is null or some other predefined convention) 513 x, a public keyused in digital signature, that may include metadata about the publickey 514 x, and other block metadata 515 x. Block 516 x includes asigned, hash of media data and possibly metadata. There are twopreferred formats for this information: (a) signed hash of the filemetadata (or its root hash) and the file media data (or its hash/roothash), or (b) signed hash of the file metadata and a signed hash of file(or root hash) of the file media data. Other formats for this signed,hashed information may also be selected according to the preferences ofone skilled in this art. Block 517 x is a signed hash (or signed roothash) of block incrementing instructions 519 x, noting that suchinstruction and associated hash may only be present as a null value inblock A, the genesis block, as no changes from the master file will haveoccurred. Block 518 x is a “block extension”, and this is informationheld in reference media files which is not required in (but notrestricted from) distributable media files, and it is preferably notincluded in the block hash. Block 519 x contains prescriptive,replicable instructions detailing how to get from the version of themedia data represented by the previous block to the version of the mediadata represented by this block (not present in block A because, as notedelsewhere, block A represents the original, master file version of themedia that came from the sensor of the capture device 136). Block 520 xis an optional copy of the media data at this point in the history ofthe media. Optionally, 311A may include 318A, null block 319A, and 320A,where block 318A is a “block extension”, and preferably not included inthe block hash, and block 320A is an optional copy of the media data atthis point in the history of the media.

With reference to FIG. 6, a process for validating a master file 300according to aspects of the present invention will now be described. Atblock 604, the server computer 120 receives a challenged master file(hereafter, “CMF”) which is to be validated. At block 606, the servercomputer 120 hashes CMF data and CMF metadata to generate a first CMFcomparison file including unsigned hashes of CMF media data and CMFmetadata. At block 608, the server computer 120 unsigns the signed CMFmedia data hash and signed CMF metadata from the CMF master blockchaindata to generate a second CMF comparison file including unsigned signedCMF media data hash and signed CMF metadata. At block 610, the servercomputer 120 compares the first CMF comparison file to the second CMFcomparison file and determines at block 612 whether those files match.If the first CMF comparison file and second CMF comparison file match,then the server computer deems the CMF at block 614 to be an authenticcopy of the master file 300. However, if the first CMF comparison fileand second CMF comparison files do not match, the server computer 120does not confirm the authenticity of the CMF, and the server computerdeems the CMF to be inauthentic at block 616.

It is noted that according to aspects of the present invention, anassumption is made that the public key of the origin block is valid(i.e., representing of the sensor device that supplied it), and thecapture device 130 that supplied the public key is trusted (thisincludes that the sensor of the capture device 136 has not been tamperedwith since the public key was embedded into the master media file).Verifying that sensor of the capture device 136 is trusted may be donein a variety of ways that may or may not involve the applicationvalidating the original media file.

With reference to FIG. 7, a process for validating a reference file 500according to aspects of the present invention will now be described. Atblock 704, the server computer 120 receives a reference file 500 whichis to be compared with a master file 300 for authentication (e.g.,whether the reference file content represents content that has beenmodified from the master file content in accordance with instructionsprovided with reference file). At block 706, the server computer 120compare reference file 500 genesis block hashes to master file 300genesis block hashes, and at block 708, the server computer determineswhether the compared genesis block hashes match. If the compared genesisblock hashes do not match, the reference file may not be authentic, andthe computer moves to block 718.

If the compared genesis block hashes do match, then the computer movesto block 710 and applies changes provided in reference file blockchainincrementing information to master file media data and hashes theresults to generate a first reference file comparison file. At block712, the server computer 120 unsigns the signed hashes in RF blockchaindata to generate a second RF comparison file. At block 714, the servercomputer 120 determines whether the first reference file comparison fileand second reference file comparison file match. If the reference filecomparison files match, the server computer 120 moves to block 716 andverifies the authenticity of the reference file 500. If the referencefile comparison files do not match, the validity of the reference fileis not confirmed, and the computer moves to block 718, in which thecomputer does not verify the authenticity of the reference file 500, andthe reference file may be labeled as inauthentic.

Now with reference to FIG. 8, a method of validating a distributablefile according aspects of this invention will now be described. At block804, the compute receives a distributable file (hereafter, “DF”) and averified authentic reference file (hereafter, “VARF”) to determinewhether the DF is a file containing an authentic version of media datacontained in the VARF. At block 806, the computer compares hashes of DFblockchain data to hashes of VARF blockchain data, and at block 808determines whether the compared hashes of blockchain data match. If thecompared hashes of blockchain data do not match, the distributable filemay not be authentic, and the computer moves to block 816.

If the compared hashes of blockchain data do match, then the computermoves to block 810 and compares, at block 812, the hash of the DF mediafile to a corresponding unsigned hash of a representative media block.In one embodiment, the corresponding unsigned hash is the unsigned hash516 x in the representative media block x, and the representative mediablock x is the block that represents the media data in block 502 at theassociated iteration in the blockchain history. If the hashes of the DFmedia file and the hash in last DF blockchain block match, then the DFis deemed to be authentic. At block 814, the computer verifies theauthenticity of the DF.

It is noted that the term capture device output as used herein includessensor data. It is also noted that the term master file as used hereinincludes a media file following the format shown in FIG. 3 and which isthe direct result of a capture device sensor recording reality throughthe previously described methods.

The term reference file as used herein includes a media file that is notintended for distribution and which uses a file format shown in FIG. 5.This format may include change logs of varying formats or no changelogs. A reference media file is distinct from a master media filebecause it has undergone alterations according to the previouslydescribed methods.

The term distributable media file includes a media file that is intendedfor distribution to end recipients. Distributable media files use aformat shown on FIG. 5. It is noted that a distributable media file inwhich the media data has not undergone any changes (and thus, theblockchain only contains the genesis block) may be seemindistinguishable from a master media file. It is also noted that ifmetadata about the file is not considered to be essential (and thus itshashes are not included in the blockchain), metadata in a distributablemedia file may vary from that in an original media file. The term changelog includes replicable instructions on how to modify a previous versionof media data into the current version of the media data.

Regarding the flowcharts and block diagrams, the flowchart and blockdiagrams in the Figures of the present disclosure illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of theorder noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

Referring to FIG. 9, a system or computer environment 1000 includes acomputer diagram 1010 shown in the form of a generic computing device.The method 100, for example, may be embodied in a program 1060,including program instructions, embodied on a computer readable storagedevice, or computer readable storage medium, for example, generallyreferred to as memory 1030 and more specifically, computer readablestorage medium 1050. Such memory and/or computer readable storage mediaincludes non-volatile memory or non-volatile storage. For example,memory 1030 can include storage media 1034 such as RAM (Random AccessMemory) or ROM (Read Only Memory), and cache memory 1038. The program1060 is executable by the processor 1020 of the computer system 1010 (toexecute program steps, code, or program code). Additional data storagemay also be embodied as a database 1110 which includes data 1114. Thecomputer system 1010 and the program 1060 are generic representations ofa computer and program that may be local to a user, or provided as aremote service (for example, as a cloud based service), and may beprovided in further examples, using a website accessible using thecommunications network 1200 (e.g., interacting with a network, theInternet, or cloud services). It is understood that the computer system1010 also generically represents herein a computer device or a computerincluded in a device, such as a laptop or desktop computer, etc., or oneor more servers, alone or as part of a datacenter. The computer systemcan include a network adapter/interface 1026, and an input/output (I/O)interface(s) 1022. The I/O interface 1022 allows for input and output ofdata with an external device 1074 that may be connected to the computersystem. The network adapter/interface 1026 may provide communicationsbetween the computer system a network generically shown as thecommunications network 1200.

The computer system? 1010 may be described in the general context ofcomputer system-executable instructions, such as program modules, beingexecuted by a computer system. Generally, program modules may includeroutines, programs, objects, components, logic, data structures, and soon that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract datatypes. The method steps and system components and techniques may beembodied in modules of the program 1060 for performing the tasks of eachof the steps of the method and system. The modules are genericallyrepresented in the figure as program modules 1064. The program 1060 andprogram modules 1064 can execute specific steps, routines, sub-routines,instructions or code, of the program.

The method of the present disclosure can be run locally on a device suchas a mobile device, or can be run a service, for instance, on the server1100 which may be remote and can be accessed using the communicationsnetwork 1200. The program or executable instructions may also be offeredas a service by a provider. The computer 1010 may be practiced in adistributed cloud computing environment where tasks are performed byremote processing devices that are linked through a communicationsnetwork 1200. In a distributed cloud computing environment, programmodules may be located in both local and remote computer system storagemedia including memory storage devices.

The computer 1010 can include a variety of computer readable media. Suchmedia may be any available media that is accessible by the computer 1010(e.g., computer system, or server), and can include both volatile andnon-volatile media, as well as, removable and non-removable media.Computer memory 1030 can include additional computer readable media inthe form of volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 1034,and/or cache memory 1038. The computer 1010 may further include otherremovable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computer storage media,in one example, portable computer readable storage media 1072. In oneembodiment, the computer readable storage medium 1050 can be providedfor reading from and writing to a non-removable, non-volatile magneticmedia. The computer readable storage medium 1050 can be embodied, forexample, as a hard drive. Additional memory and data storage can beprovided, for example, as the storage system 1110 (e.g., a database) forstoring data 1114 and communicating with the processing unit 1020. Thedatabase can be stored on or be part of a server 1100. Although notshown, a magnetic disk drive for reading from and writing to aremovable, non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a “floppy disk”), and anoptical disk drive for reading from or writing to a removable,non-volatile optical disk such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other opticalmedia can be provided. In such instances, each can be connected to bus1014 by one or more data media interfaces. As will be further depictedand described below, memory 1030 may include at least one programproduct which can include one or more program modules that areconfigured to carry out the functions of embodiments of the presentinvention.

The method(s) described in the present disclosure, for example, may beembodied in one or more computer programs, generically referred to as aprogram 1060 and can be stored in memory 1030 in the computer readablestorage medium 1050. The program 1060 can include program modules 1064.The program modules 1064 can generally carry out functions and/ormethodologies of embodiments of the invention as described herein. Theone or more programs 1060 are stored in memory 1030 and are executableby the processing unit 1020. By way of example, the memory 1030 maystore an operating system 1052, one or more application programs 1054,other program modules, and program data on the computer readable storagemedium 1050. It is understood that the program 1060, and the operatingsystem 1052 and the application program(s) 1054 stored on the computerreadable storage medium 1050 are similarly executable by the processingunit 1020. It is also understood that the application 1054 andprogram(s) 1060 are shown generically, and can include all of, or bepart of, one or more applications and program discussed in the presentdisclosure, or vice versa, that is, the application 1054 and program1060 can be all or part of one or more applications or programs whichare discussed in the present disclosure. It is also understood that thecontrol system 70 (shown in FIG. 8) can include all or part of thecomputer system 1010 and its components, and/or the control system cancommunicate with all or part of the computer system 1010 and itscomponents as a remote computer system, to achieve the control systemfunctions described in the present disclosure. It is also understoodthat the one or more communication devices 110 shown in FIG. 1 similarlycan include all or part of the computer system 1010 and its components,and/or the communication devices can communicate with all or part of thecomputer system 1010 and its components as a remote computer system, toachieve the computer functions described in the present disclosure.

One or more programs can be stored in one or more computer readablestorage media such that a program is embodied and/or encoded in acomputer readable storage medium. In one example, the stored program caninclude program instructions for execution by a processor, or a computersystem having a processor, to perform a method or cause the computersystem to perform one or more functions.

The computer 1010 may also communicate with one or more external devices1074 such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a display 1080, etc.; one ormore devices that enable a user to interact with the computer 1010;and/or any devices (e.g., network card, modem, etc.) that enables thecomputer 1010 to communicate with one or more other computing devices.Such communication can occur via the Input/Output (I/O) interfaces 1022.Still yet, the computer 1010 can communicate with one or more networks1200 such as a local area network (LAN), a general wide area network(WAN), and/or a public network (e.g., the Internet) via networkadapter/interface 1026. As depicted, network adapter 1026 communicateswith the other components of the computer 1010 via bus 1014. It shouldbe understood that although not shown, other hardware and/or softwarecomponents could be used in conjunction with the computer 1010.Examples, include, but are not limited to: microcode, device drivers1024, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAIDsystems, tape drives, and data archival storage systems, etc.

It is understood that a computer or a program running on the computer1010 may communicate with a server, embodied as the server 1100, via oneor more communications networks, embodied as the communications network1200. The communications network 1200 may include transmission media andnetwork links which include, for example, wireless, wired, or opticalfiber, and routers, firewalls, switches, and gateway computers. Thecommunications network may include connections, such as wire, wirelesscommunication links, or fiber optic cables. A communications network mayrepresent a worldwide collection of networks and gateways, such as theInternet, that use various protocols to communicate with one another,such as Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), Transport ControlProtocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Hypertext Transport Protocol(HTTP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), etc. A network may alsoinclude a number of different types of networks, such as, for example,an intranet, a local area network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN).

In one example, a computer can use a network which may access a websiteon the Web (World Wide Web) using the Internet. In one embodiment, acomputer 1010, including a mobile device, can use a communicationssystem or network 1200 which can include the Internet, or a publicswitched telephone network (PSTN) for example, a cellular network. ThePSTN may include telephone lines, fiber optic cables, transmissionlinks, cellular networks, and communications satellites. The Internetmay facilitate numerous searching and texting techniques, for example,using a cell phone or laptop computer to send queries to search enginesvia text messages (SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) (related toSMS), email, or a web browser. The search engine can retrieve searchresults, that is, links to websites, documents, or other downloadabledata that correspond to the query, and similarly, provide the searchresults to the user via the device as, for example, a web page of searchresults.

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product at any possible technical detail level of integration.The computer program product may include a computer readable storagemedium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereonfor causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, configuration data for integrated circuitry, oreither source code or object code written in any combination of one ormore programming languages, including an object oriented programminglanguage such as Smalltalk, C++, or the like, and procedural programminglanguages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programminglanguages. The computer readable program instructions may executeentirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as astand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partlyon a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. Inthe latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user'scomputer through any type of network, including a local area network(LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to anexternal computer (for example, through the Internet using an InternetService Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including,for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gatearrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute thecomputer readable program instructions by utilizing state information ofthe computer readable program instructions to personalize the electroniccircuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a computer, or other programmable data processing apparatusto produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via theprocessor of the computer or other programmable data processingapparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified inthe flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. These computerreadable program instructions may also be stored in a computer readablestorage medium that can direct a computer, a programmable dataprocessing apparatus, and/or other devices to function in a particularmanner, such that the computer readable storage medium havinginstructions stored therein comprises an article of manufactureincluding instructions which implement aspects of the function/actspecified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of theorder noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be accomplished as one step, executed concurrently,substantially concurrently, in a partially or wholly temporallyoverlapping manner, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in thereverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will alsobe noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchartillustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/orflowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purposehardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts orcarry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computerinstructions.

It is to be understood that although this disclosure includes a detaileddescription on cloud computing, implementation of the teachings recitedherein are not limited to a cloud computing environment. Rather,embodiments of the present invention are capable of being implemented inconjunction with any other type of computing environment now known orlater developed.

Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling convenient,on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computingresources (e.g., networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing,memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that canbe rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort orinteraction with a provider of the service. This cloud model may includeat least five characteristics, at least three service models, and atleast four deployment models.

Characteristics are as follows:

On-demand self-service: a cloud consumer can unilaterally provisioncomputing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, asneeded automatically without requiring human interaction with theservice's provider.

Broad network access: capabilities are available over a network andaccessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneousthin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs).

Resource pooling: the provider's computing resources are pooled to servemultiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physicaland virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according todemand. There is a sense of location independence in that the consumergenerally has no control or knowledge over the exact location of theprovided resources but may be able to specify location at a higher levelof abstraction (e.g., country, state, or datacenter).

Rapid elasticity: capabilities can be rapidly and elasticallyprovisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out andrapidly released to quickly scale in. To the consumer, the capabilitiesavailable for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can bepurchased in any quantity at any time.

Measured service: cloud systems automatically control and optimizeresource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level ofabstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage,processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can bemonitored, controlled, and reported, providing transparency for both theprovider and consumer of the utilized service.

Service Models are as follows:

Software as a Service (SaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto use the provider's applications running on a cloud infrastructure.The applications are accessible from various client devices through athin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based e-mail).The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloudinfrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage,or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exceptionof limited user-specific application configuration settings.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquiredapplications created using programming languages and tools supported bythe provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure including networks, servers, operating systems, orstorage, but has control over the deployed applications and possiblyapplication hosting environment configurations.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): the capability provided to theconsumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and otherfundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy andrun arbitrary software, which can include operating systems andapplications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage,deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networkingcomponents (e.g., host firewalls).

Deployment Models are as follows:

Private cloud: the cloud infrastructure is operated solely for anorganization. It may be managed by the organization or a third party andmay exist on-premises or off-premises.

Community cloud: the cloud infrastructure is shared by severalorganizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns(e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and complianceconsiderations). It may be managed by the organizations or a third partyand may exist on-premises or off-premises.

Public cloud: the cloud infrastructure is made available to the generalpublic or a large industry group and is owned by an organization sellingcloud services.

Hybrid cloud: the cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or moreclouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities butare bound together by standardized or proprietary technology thatenables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting forload-balancing between clouds).

A cloud computing environment is service oriented with a focus onstatelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic interoperability.At the heart of cloud computing is an infrastructure that includes anetwork of interconnected nodes.

Referring now to FIG. 10, illustrative cloud computing environment 2050is depicted. As shown, cloud computing environment 2050 includes one ormore cloud computing nodes 2010 with which local computing devices usedby cloud consumers, such as, for example, personal digital assistant(PDA) or cellular telephone 2054A, desktop computer 2054B, laptopcomputer 2054C, and/or automobile computer system 2054N may communicate.Nodes 2010 may communicate with one another. They may be grouped (notshown) physically or virtually, in one or more networks, such asPrivate, Community, Public, or Hybrid clouds as described hereinabove,or a combination thereof. This allows cloud computing environment 2050to offer infrastructure, platforms and/or software as services for whicha cloud consumer does not need to maintain resources on a localcomputing device. It is understood that the types of computing devices2054A-N shown in FIG. 10 are intended to be illustrative only and thatcomputing nodes 2010 and cloud computing environment 2050 cancommunicate with any type of computerized device over any type ofnetwork and/or network addressable connection (e.g., using a webbrowser).

Referring now to FIG. 11, a set of functional abstraction layersprovided by cloud computing environment 2050 (FIG. 10) is shown. Itshould be understood in advance that the components, layers, andfunctions shown in FIG. 11 are intended to be illustrative only andembodiments of the invention are not limited thereto. As depicted, thefollowing layers and corresponding functions are provided:

Hardware and software layer 2060 includes hardware and softwarecomponents. Examples of hardware components include: mainframes 2061;RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture based servers 2062;servers 2063; blade servers 2064; storage devices 2065; and networks andnetworking components 2066. In some embodiments, software componentsinclude network application server software 2067 and database software2068.

Virtualization layer 2070 provides an abstraction layer from which thefollowing examples of virtual entities may be provided: virtual servers2071; virtual storage 2072; virtual networks 2073, including virtualprivate networks; virtual applications and operating systems 2074; andvirtual clients 2075.

In one example, management layer 2080 may provide the functionsdescribed below. Resource provisioning 2081 provides dynamic procurementof computing resources and other resources that are utilized to performtasks within the cloud computing environment. Metering and Pricing 2082provide cost tracking as resources are utilized within the cloudcomputing environment, and billing or invoicing for consumption of theseresources. In one example, these resources may include applicationsoftware licenses. Security provides identity verification for cloudconsumers and tasks, as well as protection for data and other resources.User portal 2083 provides access to the cloud computing environment forconsumers and system administrators. Service level management 2084provides cloud computing resource allocation and management such thatrequired service levels are met. Service Level Agreement (SLA) planningand fulfillment 2085 provide pre-arrangement for, and procurement of,cloud computing resources for which a future requirement is anticipatedin accordance with an SLA.

Workloads layer 2090 provides examples of functionality for which thecloud computing environment may be utilized. Examples of workloads andfunctions which may be provided from this layer include: mapping andnavigation 2091; software development and lifecycle management 2092;virtual classroom education delivery 2093; data analytics processing2094; transaction processing 2095; and storing and verifying changesmade to as-captured sensor device media data 2096.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present inventionhave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Likewise,examples of features or functionality of the embodiments of thedisclosure described herein, whether used in the description of aparticular embodiment, or listed as examples, are not intended to limitthe embodiments of the disclosure described herein, or limit thedisclosure to the examples described herein. Many modifications andvariations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the artwithout departing from the scope and spirit of the describedembodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain theprinciples of the embodiments, the practical application or technicalimprovement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodimentsdisclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method comprising:identifying, by a computer, a capture device output, said outputrepresenting an aspect of a recorded event; cryptographicallyprocessing, by said computer, said capture device output to produce avalidatable master file; wherein said validatable master file includesmaster media data from said capture device output, master metadata ofsaid master media data, and master file blockchain data; and whereinsaid master file blockchain data includes a master file block historyportion, a master file signature key portion, a master file changeindication portion, and a master file signed data hash portion.
 2. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said cryptographicallyprocessing comprises: dividing said media data, by said computer, intoat least one data subset; generating, by said computer, a hash of saidat least one data subset; generating, by said computer, metadata of saidhash of said at least one data subset; combining, by said computer, saidhash and said metadata of said hash into at least one data packet; andcryptographically signing, by said computer, said at least one datapacket.
 3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, furtherincluding: modifying, by said computer, said master media data toproduce reference file media data; and preparing, by said computer, areference file including said reference file media data, reference filemetadata, and reference file blockchain data; wherein said referencefile blockchain data includes said master file blockchain data andblockchain incrementing information, wherein said blockchainincrementing information includes a hash of said master file blockchaindata, reference file blockchain metadata, and a reference file signeddata hash portion.
 4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3,wherein said reference file further includes instructions indicatingreplicable changes made, by said computer, between said modified mediaand said media data of said master file.
 5. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 1, further including: receiving, by said computer, achallenged master file identified as a copy of said validatable masterfile; receiving, by said computer, a request to validate said challengedmaster file; and executing, by said computer, a master file validationroutine to assess validity of said challenged master file; wherein saidmaster file validation routine includes hashing, by said computer, mediadata of said challenged master file to generate hashed challenged masterfile media data; unsigning, by said computer, a signed media data hashportion of said challenged master file to generate unsigned challengedmaster file media data; and determining, by said computer, whether saidhashed challenged master file media data and said unsigned challengedmaster file media data match.
 6. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 3, further comprising: receiving, by said computer, a referencefile identified as a modified version of said master file; receiving, bysaid computer, a request to determine whether said reference file is amodified version of said master file; and executing, by said computer, areference file verification routine; wherein said reference fileverification routine includes determining, by said computer, whethersaid hash of said master file blockchain data and a hash of blockchaindata of said reference file match; and applying, by said computer,changes indicated by said blockchain incrementing information to mediadata in said reference file to generate hashed reference file media dataand unsigning a reference file blockchain data to generate unsignedreference file blockchain media data; and determining, by said computer,whether said hashed reference file media data and said unsignedreference file blockchain media data match.
 7. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 6, further comprising: receiving, by said computer, areference file identified as an authentic modification of said masterfile; receiving, by said computer, a distributable file; receiving, bysaid computer, a request to determine whether said distributable file isan authentic modification of said reference file identified as anauthentic modification of said master file; and executing, by saidcomputer, a distributable file verification routine; wherein saiddistributable file verification routine includes determining whether ahash of distributable file blockchain data matches a hash of saidreference file blockchain data and whether a hash of distributable filemedia data matches a corresponding unsigned hash of a representativemedia block.
 8. A system which comprises: a computer system comprising acomputer readable storage medium having program instructions embodiedtherewith, the program instructions executable by a computer to causethe computer to: identify a capture device output, said outputrepresenting an aspect of a recorded event; cryptographically processsaid capture device output to produce a validatable master file; whereinsaid validatable master file includes master media data from saidcapture device output, master metadata of said master media data, andmaster file blockchain data; and wherein said master file blockchaindata includes a master file block history portion, a master filesignature key portion, a master file change indication portion, and amaster file signed data hash portion.
 9. The system of claim 8, whereinsaid cryptographically processing includes further causing said computerto: divide said media data into at least one data subset; generate ahash of said at least one data subset; generate metadata of said hash ofsaid at least one data subset; combine said hash and said metadata ofsaid hash into at least one data packet; and cryptographically sign saidat least one data packet.
 10. The system of claim 8, further causingsaid computer to: modify said master media data to produce referencefile media data; prepare a reference file including said reference filemedia data, reference file metadata, and reference file blockchain data;and wherein said reference file blockchain data includes said masterfile blockchain data and blockchain incrementing information, whereinsaid blockchain incrementing information includes a hash of said masterfile blockchain data, reference file blockchain metadata, and areference file signed data hash portion.
 11. The system of claim 10,wherein said reference file further includes instructions indicatingreplicable changes made, by said computer, between said modified mediaand said media data of said master file.
 12. The system of claim 8,further causing said computer to: receive a challenged master fileidentified as a copy of said validatable master file; receive a requestto validate said challenged master file; and execute a master filevalidation routine to assess validity of said challenged master file;wherein said master file validation routine further causes said computerhash media data of said challenged master file to generate hashedchallenged master file media data; unsign a signed media data hashportion of said challenged master file to generate unsigned challengedmaster file media data; and determine whether said hashed challengedmaster file media data and said unsigned challenged master file mediadata match.
 13. The system of claim 10, further comprising: receiving,by said computer, a reference file identified as a modified version ofsaid master file; receiving, by said computer, a request to determinewhether said reference file is a modified version of said master file;and executing, by said computer, a reference file verification routine;wherein said reference file verification routine includes determining,by said computer, whether said hash of said master file blockchain dataand a hash of blockchain data of said reference file match; andapplying, by said computer, changes indicated by said blockchainincrementing information to media data in said reference file togenerate hashed reference file media data and unsigning a reference fileblockchain data to generate unsigned reference file blockchain mediadata; and determining, by said computer, whether said hashed referencefile media data and said unsigned reference file blockchain media datamatch.
 14. The system of claim 13, further comprising: receiving, bysaid computer, a reference file identified as an authentic modificationof said master file; receiving, by said computer, a distributable file;receiving, by said computer, a request to determine whether saiddistributable file is an authentic modification of said reference fileidentified as an authentic modification of said master file; andexecuting, by said computer, a distributable file verification routine;wherein said distributable file verification routine includesdetermining whether a hash of distributable file blockchain data matchesa hash of said reference file blockchain data and whether a hash ofdistributable file media data matches a corresponding unsigned hash of arepresentative media block.
 15. A computer program product comprising acomputer readable storage medium having program instructions embodiedtherewith, the program instructions executable by a computer to causethe computer to: identify a capture device output, said outputrepresenting an aspect of a recorded event; cryptographically processsaid capture device output to produce a validatable master file; whereinsaid validatable master file includes master media data from saidcapture device output, master metadata of said master media data, andmaster file blockchain data; and wherein said master file blockchaindata includes a master file block history portion, a master filesignature key portion, a master file change indication portion, and amaster file signed data hash portion.
 16. The computer program productof claim 15, wherein said cryptographically processing includes furthercausing said computer to: divide said media data into at least one datasubset; generate a hash of said at least one data subset; generatemetadata of said hash of said at least one data subset; combine saidhash and said metadata of said hash into at least one data packet; andcryptographically sign said at least one data packet.
 17. The computerprogram product of claim 15, further causing said computer to: modifysaid master media data to produce reference file media data; prepare areference file including said reference file media data, reference filemetadata, and reference file blockchain data; and wherein said referencefile blockchain data includes said master file blockchain data andblockchain incrementing information, wherein said blockchainincrementing information includes a hash of said master file blockchaindata, reference file blockchain metadata, and a reference file signeddata hash portion.
 18. The computer program product of claim 15, furthercausing said computer to: receive a challenged master file identified asa copy of said validatable master file; receive a request to validatesaid challenged master file; and execute a master file validationroutine to assess validity of said challenged master file; wherein saidmaster file validation routine further causes said computer hash mediadata of said challenged master file to generate hashed challenged masterfile media data; unsign a signed media data hash portion of saidchallenged master file to generate unsigned challenged master file mediadata; and determine whether said hashed challenged master file mediadata and said unsigned challenged master file media data match.
 19. Thecomputer program product of claim 17, further comprising: receiving, bysaid computer, a reference file identified as a modified version of saidmaster file; receiving, by said computer, a request to determine whethersaid reference file is a modified version of said master file; andexecuting, by said computer, a reference file verification routine;wherein said reference file verification routine includes determining,by said computer, whether said hash of said master file blockchain dataand a hash of blockchain data of said reference file match; andapplying, by said computer, changes indicated by said blockchainincrementing information to media data in said reference file togenerate hashed reference file media data and unsigning a reference fileblockchain data to generate unsigned reference file blockchain mediadata; and determining, by said computer, whether said hashed referencefile media data and said unsigned reference file blockchain media datamatch.
 20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:receiving, by said computer, a reference file identified as an authenticmodification of said master file; receiving, by said computer, adistributable file; receiving, by said computer, a request to determinewhether said distributable file is an authentic modification of saidreference file identified as an authentic modification of said masterfile; and executing, by said computer, a distributable file verificationroutine; wherein said distributable file verification routine includesdetermining whether a hash of distributable file blockchain data matchesa hash of said reference file blockchain data and whether a hash ofdistributable file media data matches a corresponding unsigned hash of arepresentative media block.